The Little Thimble: From A To Z
A thimble is a cover that fits over the finger to shield it when pushing a needle during quilting or sewing. The word, comes from English, literally means "thumb shield".
The thimble has a lengthy recorded history. The oldest existent thimble is Latin, found in the ruins of Pompeii. It is made of bronze. However, the Etruscans, who came before the Romans, are known to have made other thimbles. Rough thimbles of leather and bone quite possibly also existed because thimbles have been employed by every known civilization. These thimbles did not survive.
Through the years, thimbles have changed in many of ways. Both the the means of production and the materials used have changed. Thimbles have gained new uses and become fundamentally decorative and collectible rather than merely practical. Pioneer thimbles had to be sturdy because handmade fabric was coarse and needles were rough and crude. It was difficult to push the thread through the fabric so a strong, thick bronze or iron thimble, called a "skep", was required to prevent injury.
By the fifteenth century, fabric became more finely woven and sewing became more refined. Thimbles became thin walled. These thimbles were in most cases made of metal and imported from Germany, a brass-making center. At this time, original methods of producing thimbles were introduced. Thimbles were first made from sheet metal. The new thimbles also contained fancy motifs. The cap was sometimes separate and attached to the cylinder later. This new style of thimbles were taller and the top was flatter.
During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries Holland became the new seat of thimble manufacturing. However, in the late 17th century, John Lofting moved thimble manufacturing to Islington, England where the brass-making industry was now established. He began to turn out thimbles in a scale unprecedented before. Then, he moved his facility to Great Marlow, and used water power to and doubled production.
By the early 18th century, he was producing about two million thimbles annually. But he too succumbed to change and thimble manufacturing moved to Birmingham, England by 18 hundred. The fabrication of brass also upgraded during this period. A brand new formula made it more malleable and suitable for a different manufacturing method called "deep drawing" that used less metal. This lowered the cost.
We are all aware that sewing is the fundamental use of the thimble. But did you know that a slightly larger thimble, usually two ounces, was used to measure spirits? And did you know that nineteenth century prostitutes used them to tap on their clients windows and Victorian schoolmistresses used them to knock recalcitrant students on the head?
Although they have become generally decorative, collectorsintrigue in modern thimbles has not decreased. Thimbles originally created in silver are being reproduced in pewter thanks to new processes, developed in the 1950s that allow more elaborate design. New series of thimbles are being issued to commemorate everything from football teams to Disney characters. Every tourist destination offers memorial thimbles to tourists.
Thimble collecting is an extremely well-known hobby worldwide. Many thimbles are inexpensively priced and easily for sale. Men, women and children collect them. Some collectors are interested in the history of thimbles while others collect them for their decorative significance. The unpretentious thimble has become a star. Some admire its beggarly origins and some its new found incarnations. It is still one of the most versatile and sound tools ever invented, born of necessity.
Looking For Data About A Gold Thimble Or Articles Regarding Gold Thimbles? This Is The Website For You
In the mid 1800's, gold thimbles, were used by the upper class of society as jewelry, a fashion accessory to be worn at major social events. They were used by both men and women, although the majority of users of gold thimbles were women.
Here Is How To Make Some Hard Cash From Your Old Thimbles
If you are a thimble collector or if you have inherited a collection from a family member and you are looking to make some money, thimbles are great items to auction off for big bucks. The most popular selling method for thimbles is auctioning them locally or online auctions.
What Are Thimble's Uses?
This article focuses on answering the following questions. What is a thimble? When did thimbles originate? What are their uses? Who collects thimbles? Why are sterling silver thimbles popular with collectors? What makes a sterling silver thimbles collectible? When were the first commemorative sterling silver thimbles issued?
Making Money Collecting Sewing Thimbles
Here is an introduction to collecting sewing thimbles with some of the latest ways people have been improving the hobby to make it work for them. The article goes on to suggest different ideas and approaches, some via the Internet, to make money collecting sewing thimbles.
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